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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  18-Aug-1989 by Peter S. Fischl (PSF)

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NMI
Name WILL, RAVEN, TEXADA LIME Mining Division Nanaimo
BCGS Map 092F078
Status Developed Prospect NTS Map 092F10E
Latitude 049º 43' 52'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 124º 31' 19'' Northing 5509847
Easting 390322
Commodities Limestone, Copper Deposit Types R09 : Limestone
Tectonic Belt Insular Terrane Wrangell
Capsule Geology

The Will quarry lies near the eastern edge of a 13 kilometre long belt of Upper Triassic Vancouver Group, Quatsino Formation limestone up to 3 kilometres wide that is preserved along the axis of a broad northwest plunging syncline. Moderately west dipping basaltic flows of the underlying Upper Triassic Vancouver Group, Karmutsen Formation outcrop just east of the quarry. The deposit lies within the lower high calcium limestone member of the formation. The unit is estimated to be at least 150 metres thick in this vicinity.

Diamond drilling within and around the test quarry between 1973 and 1975 encountered dark grey to black, fine-grained, massive limestone with some coarse-grained, medium to light grey limestone down to a depth of at least 65.5 metres. The cored limestone is cut by some pyrite and calcite veins and intruded by a few andesitic dykes. On surface, seven diorite dykes trending northwest and northeast and varying up to 9 metres in width, outcrop south of the quarry. Narrow zones of silicification and pyritization are present in addition to the occasional schist inclusion. The limestone is locally brecciated.

Diamond drilling in 1979, 100 metres northeast of the test quarry, encountered amygdaloidal basalt of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). Some fracture-related chalcopyrite mineralization was intersected and a sample assayed over 2 per cent copper (Assessment Report 7843).

The Will deposit contains inferred reserves of 136 million tonnes of limestone over a 900 metre by 600 metre area down to a depth of 100 metres, with a minimum grade of 95 per cent CaCO3, less than 1 per cent MgO and less than 2 per cent SiO2 (J.T. O'Connor (1970), page 10; J.W. MacLeod (1978), page 5). Diamond drilling and surface sampling was carried out in two areas, Block A and Block B, up to 1954. Block A, located 150 to 300 metres north of the quarry, contains measured geological reserves of 500,000 tonnes of limestone averaging 54.40 per cent CaO, 0.25 per cent MgO, 2.27 per cent insolubles, 0.23 per cent Al2O3, 0.260 per cent Fe2O3, less than 0.015 per cent MnO2, less than 0.050 per cent P2O5, 0.060 per cent sulphur, 0.56 per cent carbonaceous matter and 41.780 per cent CO2 (Dolmage (1954), page 6). Block B, located just east of the quarry contains indicated reserves of 295,000 tonnes of limestone averaging 55.33 per cent CaO, 0.32 per cent MgO, 1.6 per cent insolubles, 0.160 per cent Al2O3, 0.160 per cent Fe2O3, less than 0.006 per cent MnO2, 0.046 per cent P2O5, 0.053 per cent sulphur, 0.290 per cent carbonaceous matter and 42.22 per cent CO2 (Dolmage (1954), page 6).

Bibliography
EM EXPL 2001-23-31
EMPR ASS RPT 3244, *4903, *5793, 7219, 7843, 14474
EMPR BULL 40, pp. 52-58
EMPR GEM 1971-250; 1973-548, 1974-383
EMPR OF 1992-18, pp. 26-27
EMPR PF (*Reports on Raven Bay Property by Dolmage, D.R. (1954), O'Connor, J.T. (1970), MacLeod, J.W. (1978); Drill core logs from 1973 drilling by Texada Lime)
GSC MAP 1386A; 17-1968
GSC MEM 58, pp. 90,99
GSC OF 463
GSC P 68-50, pp. 14,15

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